Wolf and Crow
by LynstHolin
Summary: Lupin/Snape   Fluffy sequel to 'The Heart is a Lonely Hunter'.


Some suggestiveness

...

1981

It was a short service. There were so many people to bury, and only so many members of the clergy to perform the funeral rites. There were two coffins, but one of them might as well have been invisible, for all the attention Severus Snape paid it. The casket that he couldn't take his eyes off of was of golden-varnished pine. He startled when Remus Lupin put a hand on his shoulder. "Sev, it's over. Let's go someplace for a drink." Snape just stared silently. There were deep hollows under his dark eyes. "I know how you must be feeling," Remus said.

"No, you don't!" Severus barked.

Remus gave a small, sad smile. "There. You're getting back to your old self already."

"I will never be my old self again. He's as dead as-as dead as-" Severus' voice broke. When Remus tried to put his arms around him, he twisted away, striking out with his hands. "It was your damned friend Sirius Black! You all trusted him, and he killed Lily!"

"The Dark Lord killed the Potters."

"He was only able to do so because of Black's betrayal!" Severus turned his back and headed for the cemetary gates. "Stay away from me, Lupin," he shouted

Remus watched the black-clad form retreat from him. Severus' bony shoulders and elbows were visible through his wash-worn robes. He walked in a way that made him appear taller than he really was, and he held his head stiffly high. "I still love you," Remus said, but it was too soft for anyone to hear.

1995

Albus Dumbledore's grim expression was reflected in the faces of nearly everyone sitting at the long table in the kitchen at 12 Grimmauld Place. "Now is the time for the Order of the Phoenix to join the battle. Voldemort has bodily returned. The Ministry and the media refuse to believe it, but I know Harry Potter was speaking the truth." Albus turned his gaze to Severus Snape, who was off by himself, leaning against a counter, and his expression gained a bit of humor. "Even though you think Harry is only a small step above a gibbering ape, Severus."

Severus made a face. "He is far too much like his father."

Kingsley Shacklebolt gave Remus a look. "Are you even paying attention to what Albus is saying? Because from where I'm sitting, it seems all you're doing is making eyes at Snape," he said sotto voce.

Severus was looking everywhere but at Lupin. "Yes, yes, I hear everything. Dark Lord back, etcetera etcetera," Remus said.

"it's good to see you're taking this all so seriously."

Minerva McGonagall shot both men a look that said 'SHUT UP NOW.'

After half an hour, the meeting was winding down, and Molly Weasley was starting to serve snacks. Remus looked over to where Severus had been standing, but the black-haired man was gone. "Where's Sev?" he asked.

"He's left," Molly replied as she pressed a watercress sandwich in his hand.

The sad look on Remus' face did not go unnoticed.

...

"Leaving so soon?" Sirius asked.

"The meeting's over," Remus replied.

Sirius smirked. "What you really mean is that now that Severus is gone, there's no reason for you to stay." He laughed at the look on Remus' face. "Four meetings of the Order of the Phoenix, and you've spent every one sending longing glances at that crow. It's almost embarassing. I always thought there was something odd going on between you two in school, and now I know why. Have you really been pining over _Snape_ all these years?" As he spoke, Sirius moved forward, and Remus ended up backed against a wall. Sirius put his hands on the wall, on either side of Remus' head.

There they stood for a frozen moment of time. Sirius' intense look made his old handsomeness emerge from his Azkaban-ravaged face. He moved one hand to caress a lock of Remus' pre-maturely gray hair, then leaned in for a kiss.

"Ahem. Do you two think you could control your hormones until all your guests have left?" It was Severus.

"I thought you'd left," Remus said stupidly.

Severus was frowning. "What does that matter? Even if I was gone, the kitchen is still full of people. I need to talk to you, Sirius, remember?"

"All right." Sirus backed away from Remus, only to give him a slap on the bottom when Remus made to leave the hallway.

"What's gotten into you, Sirius?" Remus asked crossly.

"Maybe it's what I'd like to get into me."

As the Sirius and Severus walked away together, Severus looked back over his shoulder at Remus, forehead still creased.

...

"Why must there be so many _children_ here," Severus groaned. "It's bad enough I must deal with them during the school year. And now _Potter_ is here, too."

"Ah, they're not so bad," Sirius said. He draped an arm over Remus' shoulder. "Right, Moony?"

Severus' eyes narrowed as he watched Sirius lean cozily against the scarred-faced man. "You only feel that way because you've never dealt with any of the little barbarians for any length of time."

Sirius got up off of the couch he shared with Lupin. "Oh, Snape, Snape, Snape. I'm beginning to think that you were never a child yourself. I'm going to take a bath, Moony. I'll be a while. I like the bubbles."

As soon as Sirius was gone, Severus sat next to Remus. "You and _him_? That popinjay?"

"What does it matter to you? You've made it abundantly clear that you don't want me back."

There was an unreadable look in the depthless black of Severus' eyes. He twisted his hands together, bit his lip, exhaled loudly. With an awkward abruptness, he mashed his lips against Remus'.

Remus' eyes popped open wide in surprise, then closed again. He wrapped his arms around the frailly thin man and and hugged him hard enough to knock the breath out of him. The kiss deepened.

CRACK! The Weasley twins Apparated into the room. Severus jerked out of Remus' embrace, but it was too late. The boys took off out of the room at top speed. "_Snape and Lupin were snogging! Snape and Lupin are in love!_" they shouted, as one ran upstairs and one went downstairs.

Severus put a hand to his forehead, a pained look on his face. "They're going to tell e_veryone_. It's really too bad twins aren't drowned at birth any more."

Remus was grinning like... like a wolf. "I don't care. I don't care."

"What about Sirius?"

Remus' smile drooped. "Oh. I'd better talk to him." He leaned over and gave Severus a light kiss, then headed for the bathroom with the big clawed tub. He knocked, and was invited in.

Sirius had a merry look on his face as he looked up from mounds of white bubbles. "I heard the twins shouting. I can't believe it took all summer."

"What?"

"You didn't really think I was attracted to you, did you? I was just making Snape jealous so he'd come to his senses." Sirius sculpted bubbles into round mounds as he spoke. "That crow's been celebate since... who knows when. No wonder he's so bloody nasty. And you love him, for reasons I fail to understand. I want you happy, I want Snape too stop being such a tetchy old sod, two birds, one stone."

Remus laughed so hard, he had to sit down on the edge of the tub. "You really don't find me attractive?" he asked when he was able to speak again.

"You forget what a good actor I can be. I prefer innies, not outies, if you get my drift. Now, I think you two should have some alone time. Take Snape somewhere and do something to get that sourpuss look off his face."

Snape was still sitting on the couch. He looked at Lupin uncertainly. "Come on," Lupin said. "You're coming home with me. And you're moving out of Spinner's End."


End file.
